Digital Leather at The Sydney, April 6, 2018. They play Sunday at O’Leaver’s.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Good thing there’s fantastic weather this weekend so you can go out and enjoy instead of going to the clubs because ain’t hardly nothing happening. I’m looking and looking and finding very little from an indie-rock perspective (There’s some punk, though…).

Since you’ll be scratching your head trying to figure out what to do tonight, consider Benson First Friday (yes, it happens every month). The venues will be overflowing with art, which you can find out about here.

I beseech you to drop by The Little Gallery, the place run by my wife located across and just down the street from The Sydney in the east bay of the Masonic Lodge. The show, a co-op with Frogman’s Print Workshop, is called Personal Geographies: “Diana Behl, Tiberiu Chelcea, Sage Dawson, and Mary Jones use mapping conventions to talk about the passage of time, and to examine the essence of places seen, overlooked or imagined.” Booze and snacks, from 6 to 9 p.m. See you there.

Show-wise, The Brothers Lounge has nomadic psychobilly rockers The Living Deads tonight with Big Red Rawkit Riot. 9 p.m., no cover listed (but probably $5).

Also tonight, Lookout Lounge has The Beat Seekers with Switchblade Saturdays and Tame Suns. $10, 8 p.m.

Saturday night The Natural States and Houma are opening for S.F. doom act Body Void at fabulous O’Leaver’s. $8, 9 p.m.

Also Saturday night, Lookout Lounge is hosting its annual Punk Rock BBQ with Jeff Rosenstock, Remo Drive, Pseudo, Death Cow, Hand Painted Police Car, Dummy Head Torpedo, Liar Wire, Blandford, Midwest Depressed, and CatBeret. It all starts at 4 p.m. and just $15!

Which brings us to Sunday and a return to O’Leaver’s for the Sunday Social with Digital Leather and Proud Parents. DL you already know about. Proud Parents is a Madison, Wisconsin, punk trio whose debut LP was released on Dirtnap Records. The album was recorded and mixed by none other than Bobby Hussy (the Hussy, Cave Curse, Fire Heads, TIT) at his own Hex Empire. And yeah, that’s Heather Sawyer of The Hussy on drums and vocals. It’s good! This one starts early — 6 p.m. — and will cost you seven bones.

And that’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend!

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2018 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Little Brazil at The Waiting Room Dec. 30, 2017. The band celebrates the release of its new album, Send the Wolves, tonight at The Waiting Room.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Tonight’s the big Little Brazil album release show for Send the Wolves. You read the backstory behind the making of the album right here in The Reader. Kevin also did a story in this week’s Go! section of the OWH, which you can check out here. Pro-Magnum and Eric in Outerspace open at 9 p.m. $8. See you there.

BTW, it’s also #BFF — Benson First Friday. If you’re going to the Little Brazil show, drop by The Little Gallery beforehand and check out the opening reception for Home Sweet Home by Katie B. Temple? Temple, an Omaha artist and educator, is the studio coordinator for the Kent Bellows Mentoring Program at Joslyn Art Museum. Home Sweet Home was inspired by homes in Omaha that aren’t currently occupied.

It’s also the gallery’s third birthday, so you’ll be able to enjoy a slice of cake with your beer or wine. The opening is from 6 to 9 p.m. The Little Gallery is located in the bottom of the Benson Masonic Lodge, just up the street from The Sydney.

Speaking of The Sydney, as part of #BFF the club is hosting a show with Hussies, Gerardo Meza & The Dead and Muscle Cousins, who are celebrating the release of their debut EP, Flex. 10 p.m. and free.

Saturday night M34N STR33T celebrates the release of their new album, Don Quixote’s Lance, at Brothers Lounge. Jaw Knee Vee opens at 9 p.m. $5.

Anonymous Henchmen headline at fabulous O’Leaver’s Saturday night. The Lupines and Satellite Junction open at 10 p.m. $5.

The B Side in Benson, 6058 Maple (right next to Virtuoso Pizza) kicks off its B Side Story Sessions Saturday night with Andrew Bailie. Each session features a solo artist in a “Storytellers” style two-hour performance. Bailie has played with Jazzwholes and It’s True, among others. Tickets are $10 advance, $15 DOS. Show starts at 9 p.m.

Satchel Grande headlines at The Waiting Room Saturday night with Omaha Beat Brigade. $8, 9 p.m.

Doom Lagoon headlines at Reverb Lounge Saturday with Cvlt Play, Silversphere and Supper. $5, 9 p.m.

That’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2018 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Built to Spill at The Waiting Room, Oct. 18, 2013. The band returns tonight.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

t’s a jam-packed weekend for shows. Too bad the weather sucks so much, but we’ll have music to keep us warm.

Biggest show of the weekend is the return of Built to Spill to The Waiting Room. Seems like these guys pass through town on an annual basis, which is all right with me.

If you’re going, get there early. Opening act Portland’s Black Belt Eagle Scout is Katherine Paul, who plays all the instruments on her debut Mother of My Children (2017, Good Cheer). Rituals of Mine (formerly known as Sister Crayon) is the duo of vocalist Terra Lopez with Dani Fernandezhas. Their sophomore album was co-produced by Omar Rodriguez Lopez of At the Drive In. $25, 8 p.m.

Also tonight, a massive triple bill at The Sydney in Benson headlined by Digital Leather with Son, Ambulance and Lincoln’s Her Flyaway Manner. On top of that Tyrone Storm will be spinning. $5, 10 p.m.

BTW, its Benson First Friday, so if you’re headed to Benson, why not stop in at The Little Gallery, 5901 Maple St. (the east bay of the Masonic Lodge building), and check out this month’s show: Elements, featuring the work of 15 members of the Midwest Fiber Art Alliance. It’s free and runs from 6 to 9 p.m. Free beer! See you there.

If that weren’t enough, The Brothers Lounge is hosting Thick Paint tonight with Olympia WA band Oh, Rose and Effluvium. $5, 10 p.m.

Which brings us to Saturday night and the Phoebe Bridgers show at fabulous O’Leaver’s.

Bridgers is a red-hot indie artist whose new record, Stranger in the Alps (2017, Dead Oceans), includes a track with Conor Oberst. So will there be a special guest tonight? (One special guest I do know will be there is former Omahan and Tilly and the Wall member Nick White, who plays keyboards in Bridgers’ band).

The show is officially sold out of advanced tickets, but there will be a “limited number of tickets available at the door at 8 p.m.” I’m told that number is somewhere around 20, so if you’re into it, you may want to get to the club before 8 and get loaded. This is a stacked show with Nashville act Daddy Issues opening along with our very own McCarthy Trenching. $10, 9 p.m.

A nice warm-up for that Bridgers show is “A Visit with Buck Meek” at Hi-Fi House. The lead guitarist of Saddle Creek Records band Big Thief returns to HFN on tour for his debut Solo LP, out May 18 on Keeled Scales records. Show starts 7 p.m. and you must register to attend by submitting your name via the form located here on the HFH’s web calendar.

If that weren’t enough, doom metal/stoner-rock legends Sleep plays at The Waiting Room Saturday night. Subrosa opens. $28 Adv/$30 DOS. 9 p.m.

And finally, over at The Brothers on Saturday night it’s Sun-Less Trio with Relax, It’s Science and Bled Notes. $5, 9 p.m.

And that’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2018 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Relax, It’s Science at Lookout Lounge, April 30, 2016. The band plays Saturday at O’Leaver’s.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Another cold, somewhat quiet weekend, at least as far as indie shows are concerned. Let’s get into it…

Pkew Pkew Pkew, who play at Lookout Lounge tonight, are sort of a yell rock act a la Andrew WK, though you could argue they’re more melodic bordering on emo/pop-punk. They played a Milk Run show a couple years ago, which makes them OK in my book. Since this is a Lookout Lounge show, it’s a four-band line-up (Why? I guess to sell more beer? No one wants to see a four- or five-band line-up). It starts at 9 with Blandford, followed by Lincoln’s Hosting Monsters, Waking the Neighbors then P3. $10.

An example of Steve Schneider’s art, which is on display tonight at The Little Gallery in Benson.

Believe it or not, it’s also the first Friday of the month which means Benson First Friday (BFF). If you’re in the East Benson area (you know, east of The Sydney) stop into the Little Gallery, 5901 Maple Street (the bottom bay of the Masonic Lodge building), where we have a reception going tonight featuring the work of Steve Schneider.

Steve Schneider sometime in the ’90s. Photo courtesy of Stephen Sheehan.

Who is Steve Schneider? I asked Stephen Sheehan (who knows him and who, incidentally, will be performing as part of the Bennie and the Gents Bowie Tribute tomorrow night at The Waiting Room).

Says Stephen: “I suppose you could begin by saying ‘local artist and experimental musician’ who performed and recorded around Omaha in the late ’80s through the mid-’90s. While his main instrument was saxophone, Steve was known to incorporate children’s toys and found objects into his performances. Steve was a master of band names and performed under many, such as Little Bro Peep and The Church of the Obvious Choice.”

Sheehan said Schneider recorded a double album with Tom Ware at Ware House Studios but it was never officially released and only a few copies are in circulation. Some might remember Schneider as someone who frequently busked in the Old Market on street corners. These days Schneider lives in the Pacific Northwest under the name Shane Ronet.

Needless to say, there’s a ton of his art as part of this reception. Check it out. Booze, treats provided. 6 to 9 p.m. See you there.

Tomorrow night (Saturday) the double-bass attack of Relax, It’s Science returns to fabulous O’Leaver’s. Joining them are new act Bled Notes (Julie Kestner and Co.) and Lincoln act Brazen Throats (members of Nanahara) who says this will be their last show ever. Come say goodbye at 9 p.m. $5.

And finally, tomorrow night is the third annual Bennie Does Bowie show at The Waiting Room. See Bennie and the Gents (along with special guests) take on the Bowie catalog. The Beat Seekers open at 9 p.m. $10.

Lazy-i Best of 2017

And that’s it for shows. If I missed yours put it in the comments section.

Finally, today is your last chance to get in on the drawing for a copy of the Lazy-i Best of 2017 Comp CD.

The collection includes my favorite indie tunes from last year, including songs from SUSTO, David Nance, Alvvays, Luna, The Lupines, LCD Soundsystem, Digital Leather, Beck, CLOSENESS, King Krule, Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile and lots more. The full track listing is here, or take a listen if you have Spotify.

Want one? Enter to my drawing to win a copy of this limited-edition, hand-crafted CD. To enter, either: 1. Send an email with your mailing address to tim.mcmahan@gmail.com, or 2) Write a comment on one of my Lazy-i related posts in Facebook, or 3) Retweet a Lazy-i tweet. You also can enter by sending me a direct message in Facebook or Twitter. Hurry, contest deadline is tonight (Jan. 5) at midnight!

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2018 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Ne-Hi at The Waiting Room, June 29, 2016. The band returns tonight with Whitney.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Is this the last “warm” weekend of the year? Maybe, probably. I’m getting my crappy winter beater car out this weekend — a sure sign winter’s here.

Anyway, take advantage of the last warm weekend of the year and see some shows…

The best of the bunch this weekend is tonight at The Waiting Room where indie hot stuff Whitney headlines with NE-HI. From Chicago, Whitney consists of members of the late, great Smith Westerns. The band’s break-out album, Light Upon the Lake, came out in 2016 on Secretly Canadian. One presumes they’re working on new material, though recent shows merely featured the old stuff along with a handful of covers (including Neil Young’s “On the Way Home,” Dolly Parton’s “Gonna Hurry (As Slow As I Can),” Dylan’s “Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here with You,” NRBQ’s “Magnet,” etc.). Opener NE-HI just played Reverb this past March (read their Ten Questions interview here). $15, 9 p.m., expect a packed room.

Also tonight, Ryan Menchaca & The Invisible Horses headlines at fabulous O’Leaver’s. Opening is Carl Miller of The Thrillers’ fame and Des Moines act SIRES. 10 p.m., $5.

And its the first Friday in December which means it’s Benson First Friday. As part of the fun The Little Gallery, 5901 Maple St., is hosting its annual “little show” where all works in the main gallery are 12” x 12” or smaller and $100 or less — perfect for holiday gift giving! Among the more than 20 artists showing works are Jason Steady, Jadon Ulrich, Mike Loftus, Brad Thiel and Nebraska Dept. of Motor Vehicles. Plus there will be beer, wine and some food. Drop by and say hello. The gallery is the east storefront of the Masonic Lodge Building on south side of Maple Street at 5901. See you there.

Tomorrow night is the return of Son, Ambulance at O’Leaver’s. Who will be in this incarnation of the band, fronted by singer/songwriter Joe Knapp? Opening is Lodgings while Annie Dilocker’s latest project, Dirt House, headlines. $7, 9 p.m.

Finally Mark Olson of The Jayhawks plays at The Waiting Sunday night. $15, 7 p.m.  And Matisyahu plays at The Slowdown with Common Kings and Orphans. 7:30 p.m. start time; tix are $25 Adv./$28 DOS.

And that’s all I got. If I missed your show put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2017 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Well, not a whole lot going on this weekend. I guess I should blame the Huskers, though I can’t see how football would impact the draw at an indie rock show, especially this season. Anyway, there’s very little happening this weekend from an indie music perspective. No touring indie shows at all.

Tonight, Lincoln’s Universe Contest hosts a release show for their new one, Get Cot Livin’, at The Sydney. Hear Nebraska has a review of the album right here . Lodgings and Des Moines’ Pets With Human Names opens. This one is free (according to Facebook); show starts at 10 p.m.

That is really the only indie show on the radar this weekend. Since you’re going to be in Benson anyway (and so close) you might as well drip into The Little Gallery before heading to The Sydney and check out our new show, Bart Vargas’ One Year Later: The Trumplings. “Vargas cast the first Trumpling on Inauguration Day 2017 and committed to the goal of casting one Trumpling a day while Trump is in office. All with the ultimate goal, of exhibiting a future installation made up of 1460* Trumplings to memorialize everyday we had to endure this dark time in our history.” They’re pretty creepy. Check it out at The Little Gallery from 6 to 9 p.m. We’re located in the left bay of the Masonic Lodge, across the street and just east of The Sydney. See you there.

Saturday night it’s a step back into the ’90s as The Waiting Room hosts St. Louis ska-rockers The Urge with Clever and Mandown. It’ll be like a mini Ranch Bowl reunion. 8 p.m., $25.

Also Saturday night, Lookout Lounge has Swingin’ Utters with Western Settings Darius Koski and Joystick. Punk it up. $13, 8 p.m.

That’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2017 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Wagon Blasters at Lookout Lounge April 30, 2016. The band is playing the Big Al Free Music Festival at O’Leaver’s Saturday night.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Before we get to the weekend rundown, notice anything different about the Lazy-i homepage? Come on, LOOK.  I want to thank Digital Leather for holding that position on the homepage for six years. I’m sure at some point we’ll rotate a more recent photo of Shawn and the guys the next time I go to a DL show (which can’t be too soon).

Anyway, soggy weekend ahead, at least part of it. Don’t let the rain keep you inside. Here’s what’s happening…

Omaha’s premiere alt-country band, Clarence Tilton, is playing a set out at Growler USA, way out on 162nd and Maple. St. If you haven’t been out there, now’s your chance. It’s free and the place has something like 100 beers on tap. No opener. Starts at 9 p.m.

Meanwhile, tonight O’Leaver’s has a bill of unknown acts (unknown by me, anyway) that include House Vacations, Condor & Jaybird and Harakiri. Where is Craig D. finding these bands? Check out HV’s track below. $5, 9:30 p.m.

And, in case you forgot, it’s the first Friday of October, which means it’s Benson First Friday.

We’ve got a special art show tonight at The Little Gallery, located across the street from The Sydney in the east bay of the Masonic Lodge building. You may know him from Talking Mountain or Wolf Dealer or his latest musical project, Number One Hit Kids, or you also may know him as an exciting graphic artist on his way to blowing up the Omaha art scene. The renaissance man I speak of is none other than Jason Steady. And tonight, The Little Gallery presents: Jason Steady: Objects.

Swing by between 6 and 9 p.m. and enjoy some chips and salsa while you peruse the art, along with some strange coke+red wine concoction (and probably beer). See you there.

That brings us to Saturday night and the 10th Annual Big Al’s Free Music Festival at O’Leaver’s. Yes, it’s free, but you’re encouraged to bring a can of food for the food drive. This year, Al’s added a “comedy stage.” Local funnymen will do standup between music sets, which are listed below:

5:00 – 5:25 The Shineys
5:45 – 6:10 Jales Hupke
6:30 – 6:55 ARMY of 2600
7:15 – 7:40 Bathtub Maria
8:00 – 8:25 Sam Martin
8:45 – 9:10 Relax, It’s Science
9:30 – 9:55 Dereck Higgins Experience
10:15 – 10:40 Mike Saklar Trio
11:00 – 11:25 Wagon Blasters
11:45 – 12:10 Big AL band

Also Saturday night, Nebraska legend Charlie Burton continues his return tour, this time playing with his band, Or What, at The Barley Street Tavern. $5, 9 p.m.

Finally, Hi-Fi House is hosing an open-to-the-public event Sunday afternoon featuring record label Numero Group. According to Wiki, Numero Group is “an archival record label that creates compilations of previously released music, reissues original albums, and creates album reconstructions from a variety of musical genres.”

Hang out and hear stories from label co-founders Rob Sevier and Ken Shipley, and hear selections from the works from the one-of-a-kind Numero catalog. They’ll also be selling tons of Numero Group merch from their pop-up shop. Noon to 6 p.m. Hi-Fi House is located at, 3724 Farnam St.

And that’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2017 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Today, Bandcamp will donate 100 percent of its share of every sale made to the Transgender Law Center, a nonprofit dedicated to transgender equality. From midnight to midnight, money from every album or song you purchase on Bandcamp will go to helping noble endeavors like getting health care for trans veterans, preventing violence and abuse against incarcerated trans people, trans youth outreach and education, trans rights litigation, and more.

Some labels are getting into the swing as well. Saddle Creek is joining the more than 200 labels who also are donating their portion of Bandcamp sales to TLC. So is Simon Joyner. Buy music and help a good cause!

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This weekend is heavily front-loaded for tonight…. lots happening…

Seminal ’90s act Cracker plays tonight at Slowdown Jr. I’m sure you already read my Ten Questions interview with Cracker’s Johnny Hickman. What? You haven’t? Well go forth then, pilgrim. Opening the show is Omaha’s favorite alt-country superstars Clarence Tilton. $32, 8 p.m.

Also tonight, Matador Records’ latest signing, Julien Baker, plays at The Waiting Room. Baker plays somber acoustic ballads. Opening is Luray. $15, 8 p.m.

Meanwhile, over at Almost Music in the Blackstone, Folk Implosion’s John Davis and his band The Cicadas are playing with Simon Joyner and Nathan Ma. $5, 8 p.m.

And lest I forget, it’s Benson First Friday. We’ve got a new show opening at The Little Gallery tonight featuring the art of Carole Waterman and daughters Lisa Kalentjakos and Marie Adams. The show runs from 6 to 9 p.m. and we’ll have some sort of food and booze. The gallery is located in the bottom east bay of the Masonic Lodge building across the street from The Sydney and up east a block or two.

Speaking of The Sydney, they’re hosting a #BFF event with a slew of entertainment including DJ Tyrone Storm, Leafblower and Jump the Tiger. 10 p.m. and probably free.

Wait, there’s more. The Boner Killerz are headlining at fabulous O’Leaver’s with The Morbs and The Natural States tonight. $5, 10 p.m.

That’s a shitload of shows going on the same night. Especially considering there is virtually nothing happening Saturday night.

The only show on my radar Saturday is Those Far Out Arrows at O’Leaver’s. They’re opening for Ojai and Arizona band Kolezanka. $5, 9:30 p.m.

And that’s all I got. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2017 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Matthew Sweet at fabulous O’Leaver’s, July 30, 2014. Sweet and his plan plays at The Waiting Room Saturday and Sunday nights.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Who’s going to the horse races this weekend? Anybody? Anybody? Ah well, what else is going on? Glad you asked…

Tonight is Benson First Friday, and part of BFF is a show at The Sydney featuring Oquoa, Dave Nance Band and FiFi NoNo, who just dropped a new single (below). 10 p.m. and free, according to Facebook (though the last free show I went to at The Sydney cost me $5).

If you’re going to the Sydney, you might as well drop by The Little Gallery, 5901 Maple, at the bottom of the Masonic Lodge building. We’ll be opening a new show featuring prints by Myles Dunigan. The show runs 6 to 10 p.m. And as always, the beer is free. Come on over… More info here.

Also tonight, Lodgings is playing at fabulous O’Leaver’s. I’m told their recently released EP, Daisies, is about to come out on colored vinyl. Jump the Tiger headlines this show and St. Bernard opens. $5, 9:30 p.m.

And The New BLK is having a moving out party tonight at what will soon be their old digs at 12th and Howard. The new The New BLK will be located at 2626 Harney, about a block west of Midtown Art Supply. Anyway, the party starts at 4 and runs until 2 p.m. Performers include Digital Leather and Conny Franko. Find out more.

Tomorrow and Sunday night Matthew Sweet is playing at The Waiting Room. The two-night engagement is in support of his new double album, Tomorrow, Forever, which I reviewed here yesterday. Tommy Keene, who was releasing music on Matador back when Sweet was on Zoo, is opening both nights. Keene opened for Sweet when he played at O’Leaver’s a few years ago, and is something of a legend in his own right. Tickets for either night are $20; these are early shows with 8 p.m. start times.

Finally Sunday NYC band Rips plays at Milk Run. Their debut album was produced by Austin Brown of Parquet Courts. Thick Paint and Razors also are on the bill. No price given for this 8:30 p.m. show, so you’re on your own.

And that’s all I got for this weekend. If I missed your show, put it in the comments section. Have a great weekend…

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2017 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.

Thick Paint at O’Leaver’s, April 30, 2016. They play tonight at The Sydney as part of BFF.

by Tim McMahan, Lazy-i.com

Another first Friday of the month means another Benson First Friday.

But not just any BFF. Tonight marks the five-year anniversary for BFF. To celebrate, the BFF crew is hosting a giant group photo at the corner of Military and Maple streets at 6:15 p.m.. All businesses, community members, artists, bands and patrons are invited to get in the photo. Don’t forget to say “cheese.”

Musicwise, The Sydney is the place to be for BFF. Tonight Those Far Out Arrows headlines with Thick Paint and The Sam’s Martin (uh, is Sam Martin in this band?). The free show starts at 10 p.m.

Also tonight, if you’re in the neighborhood, stop into The Little Gallery, just across the street and down a little ways from The Sydney in the Masonic Lodge Building. Tonight’s show is “Switch It Up,” by Courtney Kenny Porto. Light Switch Covers = art. Read about the show here.  We’re open 6 to 9 p.m. Beer provided, and food and stuff. Stop in!

Tomorrow night (Saturday), Minnesota one-man trash rocker Jaw Knee Ver is at Brothers Lounge. Joining him are Sean Pratt & The Sweats and Iowa City’s Hot Tang. No price listed on this one but I’m guessing it’s around $5 and starts at 9 p.m.

Also Saturday night, Lincoln band The Ambulanters headlines at fabulous O’Leaver’s Joining them are fellow Lincolnites Universe Contest and our very own indie punkers Uh Oh. $5, 9:30 p.m.

What am I missing? Put it in the comments section. It’s gonna be a hot one. Have a great weekend.

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Read Tim McMahan’s blog daily at Lazy-i.com — an online music magazine that includes feature interviews, reviews and news. The focus is on the national indie music scene with a special emphasis on the best original bands in the Omaha area. Copyright © 2017 Tim McMahan. All rights reserved.